France said on Tuesday that it praised the decision
by Somalia to adhere to the Paris Convention banning chemical weapons, which
was originally agreed to in 1993 and came into force in 1997.

The Convention sets out a process for disarmament and the total eradication
of one category of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The Convention also
provides for a verification system and prevents proliferation of chemical
weapons.

Somalia is now the 189th nation to adhere to the chemical weapons ban. A
handful of States have not signed the convention and some have signed but not
ratified the text.

Among those who have refused to sign the convention are Syria, Egypt, North
Korea, Angola and South Sudan. At the same time, Israel and Burma have signed
but have not had the treaty ratified by the parliament, so the convention is
not legally valid.

The French Foreign Ministry said that it hoped "the adherence of Somalia
will have the value of example for those non-party States."
France urged those non-signatories to immediately join the convention.